Delicious desserts

  Dessert is indisputably the best part of any long day, a little burst of sweetness and joy. So many desserts take a nutritional toll and take a while to make but neither of these things should get in the way of enjoying a sweet treat. Desserts can have nutritional value, be easy to make, and still taste really good. Here are some desserts that are nutritious and delicious, so much so that they can be eaten any time of day.

Chia Seed Pudding

   Chia seeds may cause memories of growing little plants on a terracotta statue, but these little seeds pack in some serious nutritional benefits. Three tablespoons of chia seeds provide 6 grams of complete proteins as well as a healthy source of polyunsaturated fats. This recipe can be easily modified to be a variety of flavors. Milk can be substituted for orange juice and cocoa powder can be substituted for other spices.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp chia seeds

½ cup milk or milk substitute

1 tsp plain cocoa powder

1 tsp honey

How to Make it:

1. Add all ingredients to a mason jar and shake the jar to mix: if any chia seeds do not fully mix, simply mix a little more with a spoon

2. Allow to sit in a fridge for at least 3 hours

3. Enjoy and top with bananas, berries, or dark chocolate

Banana Ice Cream

This recipe makes soft-serve ice cream out of bananas and can be a great dessert after a late workout (or after a morning workout). With a scoop of protein powder and bananas, this treat provides a good post-workout source of protein, potassium, and carbs. Again, you can modify for how you like your ice cream, add in any flavor you like or mix in some chocolate!

Ingredients:

1 sliced and frozen banana (see note)

½ cup milk or milk substitute

2 scoops chocolate protein powder (or chocolate milk powder)

How to Make it:

1. Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

Note: To make frozen banana slices, slice a ripe banana in approximately 1 cm thick slices and place on a cookie sheet with wax paper to keep the bananas from sticking. Place the cookie tray with the bananas in the freezer until the bananas are frozen solid, then peel the bananas off the wax paper and store in a freezer bag.

Microwave Apple Crisp

Keeping the skin on the apple in this recipe helps retain a large amount of the nutrition. Another topping that is great on this apple crisp is vanilla yogurt.

Ingredients

1 apple, cored and thinly sliced

½  tsp honey or brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ cup granola

Optional: nuts (such as walnuts or pecans), raisins

How to Make it:

1. In a microwave safe bowl mix the sliced apples, honey, cinnamon, and nuts/raisins

2. Cover with a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 3 minutes, pausing halfway through to stir

3. Once done microwaving, top with granola and enjoy!